Monday, March 28, 2011

Broken Femur

I went to SLC for a photo shoot. John was supposed to stay home with the kids but he wanted to go snowboarding with his friends. He called and asked my friend Melanie if she could watch the kids while he went snowboarding. I had my photo shoot for the Mrs. Utah pageant. After the photo shoot I went to the mall to shop for an evening gown. I was enjoying myself when suddenly I got a phone call from John's friend Sam. He told me that John had broke his femur but that he was going to be okay. I was in a panic thinking about my kids and the fact that I was out of town and now John would not be returning home to them. I immediately called Johns mom but she did not answer. I called his sister Becca and she didn't answer either but I got a hold of her husband Fred. He said they could come to St. George to care for the kids and be at the hospital with John. I was thinking maybe John was trying some kind of a crazy trick but he said he went to the side of the slope by the trees and followed his friend over a little bump. There was a turn after the bump and John didn't have enough time to turn and miss the trees so he threw his body to the side but his leg hit the tree. He tried moving his leg but only the top half moved and he knew it was broken. His friends got help and they put him on a sled and took him down the mountain to the clinic. He was in excruciating pain but they claimed they were not aloud to give him anything and that he had to wait for the paramedic to come. The ambulance ended up getting stuck in the snow on its way up Beaver mountain. John was put in the back of a pick up truck and taken down the mountain to the ambulance. By this point it had been 2 1/2 or 3 hours with no pain meds! They gave him morphine when he got in the ambulance but that didn't do anything for his pain so they gave him something stronger. He was taken to Cedar City but they did not have proper equipment for surgery so the ambulance had to drive in a blizzard to St. George. The ambulance ended up having engine problems along the way so they stopped at a Wal-Mart in Cedar city to get parts. The driver did not know how to fix the problem so John had to walk him through it while he was drugged up and laying on a stretcher. He finally made it after a 4 hour journey from Beaver to St. George. I left SLC first thing in the morning so I could get back to the kids and see John. He ended up having surgery. He had to get a steel rod drilled through his hip and down through the center of the femur with a screw to hold it in place. it will be permanent. It is going to be a long recovery and he won't be able to wake board for awhile or work for a couple weeks. HE is using a walker right now and will slowly graduate to crutches. Here is a picture of his x-ray.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Mrs. Utah US Continental

I can't believe I was crowned the new Mrs. Utah US Continental. After several pageants I finally got to experience my crowning moment as my dream came true. My husband, kids and parents were there to support me during this journey. My journey was long and exhausting as I prepared mentally, physically and emotionally for the pageant. I spent countless hours finding the perfect evening gown and the best aerobic wear that was the most flattering for my not so perfect body. I spent more time at the gym than usual trying to get into shape for the pageant. I spent a lot of time filling out my application and judges biography form. I also spent time driving to SLC for meetings and photo shoots and the actual competition. Of course you can't take part in a pageant without all that glamorous stuff so I spent more time getting my hair done, buying new make up, getting a tan, getting my nails done.....But, I think I spent the most time preparing my platform. I put a lot of thought into what would be the right platform for me. I decided on "Reach Out And Make A Difference". Because of my experience with fund raising, community service and helping others I felt it was a perfect platform for me. I am so excited as I embark on this new journey.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Disnayland

It's a tradition every year that my mom and I take the kids to Disneyland over spring break. This year Grandma Z came with us. Usually St. George has an earlier spring break than everyone else which ends up being the last weekend before the busy peak hours start. This makes it nice because the lines are not that bad. For some reason this year Disneyland was PACKED! I guess the spring break schedule changed for some states. Instead of it being the last weekend before the peak season it ended up being the first weekend of peak season. It was horrible! We tried to make the best of it. Whitney went on the Tower of Terror the last time we came to Disneyland and it scared the crap out of her. This year she absolutely refused to go on it again but my mom and I talked Suzan into going on it. She didn't know what to expect. It was so funny to see her reaction. I think it kind of scared her too. Caysen was in car heaven when he saw Mater and Mcqueen. He was checking out the wheels and their mouths. He was starring and touching and loving it! He couldn't get enough and we had to drag him away! Even though Whitney is seven years old she still insists on being in a stroller. She says it's not fair that Caysen gets to sit in a stroller. So we always rent a stroller. Besides, it makes it easier for us to get around and do things faster if we can just push the kids. Whitney NEVER takes naps! Ithought it was funny that she actually fell asleep in the stroller. Crazy how us adults are the ones doing all the work yet we have more energy than the kids and can't get enough of Disneyland but the kids get so worn out LOL. I wonder if she will still be in a stroller when she is 10?